Capital ready in every way to handle rising COVID-19 cases, says Sanjay Singh

NEW DELHI: Senior Delhi Congress leader Ajay Maken on Sunday targeted Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by saying that the state government’s unpreparedness to tackle the growing number of Coronavirus patients in the Capital shows that the Aap-led government is busy in “image-making and event management” and sought an answer on non-admission of COVID-19 patients in the hospitals.

Meanwhile Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh said that Delhi is ready in every way to handle the rising cases.

In a virtual press conference Maken said: “The Delhi government should have strengthened the health infrastructure before opening restaurants, shopping malls and borders.”

The Congress leader held Kejriwal responsible for putting the lives of Delhiites at stake. He said that Delhi has 25 per cent positivity rate which indicates the onset of community transmission and this was not the right time to unlock the city. He alleged that the Delhi government is intentionally keeping the death toll lower and not giving exact figures to the people.

Meanwhile, Singh in a statement said that Delhi is ready in every way to handle the rising cases. He said: “We have made medical arrangements to take care of every person living in Delhi.”

“Everyone has to come together to fight the battle against the virus. We did out work and have been working relentlessly. We had said we would be ready with 30,000 beds and we are doing that in phases by increasing the bed numbers gradually. As of now we have around 9,000 beds of which 4,000 are vacant. We will convert hotels and banquet halls too very soon,” Singh added.

On the other hand, Maken said that out of the 4,400 beds for Covid-19 patients in the hospitals run by the Delhi government, only 28 were occupied. He added, “in private hospitals 40 per cent beds are lying vacant.” He also questioned the action against the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, which he said has a 88 per cent occupancy rate.